Kuala Lampur, Jan. 14 -- In the United Kingdom (UK), a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) is an agreement reached between the prosecution and an organisation being prosecuted, under the supervision of a judge.

The DPA allows the prosecution to be suspended for a defined period, provided the organisation meets certain specified conditions.

DPAs can be used for fraud, bribery and other economic crimes. They apply to organisations, never individuals.

The key features of DPAs in the UK are explained to the public in the following terms:

Introduced on February 24, 2014 under the provisions of Schedule 17 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, DPAs have contributed towards rule of law in the UK.

An example of a DPA is the one entered between ...